How do the Arbutus Ridge design guidelines and the approval process work?
Plans go to an Approving Authority before any building permit application. A complete package is deemed approved after 30 days if nothing is asked for or refused. Approval lasts 24 months: start within 6, finish within 18, landscape within 24. The fee is $3,500, paid on completion.
What is the Building Scheme, and who decides?
The rules are registered on title. The instrument is Statutory Building Scheme CB466252, registered against title to every Residential Lot, including the Design Guidelines at Schedule A-1. Being on title, it binds you and your neighbours equally.
The decision-maker is the Approving Authority: The Developer, or its designated agent, or a qualified third party such as an architect nominated by the Developer in writing - until all Lots are sold, or such earlier date as the Developer elects in writing. After that, a qualified third party appointed by the Developer.
What you can build CD 18 zoning and the Building Scheme, per the Disclosure Statement
| Zoning | CD 18 - Comprehensive Development 18 (Arbutus Ridge), Sub Area 1 (Bowen Island Municipality Bylaw No. 344, 2013) |
|---|---|
| Floor area | Up to 260 m² (about 2,799 sq ft) for the house, excluding garages and accessory buildings |
| Lot coverage | 25% maximum |
| Setbacks | 3.0 m front, side and rear |
| Height | 9.0 m for the house and for accessory buildings |
| Buildings | One dwelling plus up to 2 accessory buildings; carriage houses are not permitted under the current bylaw |
| Design review | Plans go to the Approving Authority before any work or permit application; approval is deemed after 30 days once a complete package is received; a $3,500 design-approval fee is payable on completion |
| Build timing | Start within 6 months of approval, complete all but landscaping within 18, landscaping within 24; tree felling and blasting only between 16 August to 1 February; fire sprinklers are mandatory |
What does a complete submission contain?
The Design Review Checklist is specific about drawings and scales:
- Site plan at 1/8" = 1'0" — the whole property, existing grading, terrain features to be preserved, easements, setbacks, the construction activity zone including driveway access and temporary fencing, building footprint and roof overhangs, driveway and parking, finished floor elevations, retaining wall heights, impermeable coverage and erosion control.
- Landscape plan at 1/8" = 1'0" — plant quantities, sizes, species and locations, areas already disturbed, every area to be re-vegetated, trees to be transplanted, irrigation and exterior landscape lighting.
- Floor plans, four or more elevations, a roof plan and sections at 1/4" = 1'0" — existing and finished grades, plate and ridge heights, exterior materials, roof pitches, and a colour rendering on one elevation.
- Lighting cut sheets and a colour board — a sample of every exterior material.
Construction drawings must be sealed by an architect registered in British Columbia or otherwise meet the Municipality's permit requirements; landscape drawings must be signed by a landscape architect or designer.
The process, step by step
- Pre-design meeting. Your design team meets the Approving Authority on the lot to walk boundaries, preservation areas, utilities, easements and the design rules. Nothing is submitted at this stage; hold it before any drawing starts.
- Design review. The full package goes in; the Approving Authority makes itself available for a meeting within 14 days, and you or your representative present the design. A rejected concept can be revised and resubmitted.
- Pre-construction conference. Your contractor meets the Approving Authority and submits a construction plan: where activity is confined, how vegetation is protected, limits of excavation, erosion control, temporary access and lay-down areas.
- Construction drawings and technical review. Sealed drawings, final grading, foundation, floor and roof plans, elevations and specifications. If they match what was approved at design review, the Approving Authority confirms in writing within seven business days — the prerequisite for a building permit application.
- Site reviews. A layout review before construction starts, a framing review when walls and roof are substantially framed, and a final review at the end, leading to a Certificate of Building Scheme Compliance — needed before the Municipality issues a Certificate of Occupancy.
The clock that protects you: plans are deemed approved if, within 30 days of receiving them, the Approving Authority has neither asked for more material nor refused in writing with reasons. The same clock runs on anything further you send, and approval is not to be unreasonably withheld.
What are the deadlines once you are approved?
| Milestone | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Approval remains valid | 24 months |
| Construction must start | Within 6 months of approval |
| Everything but landscaping complete | Within 18 months of approval |
| Landscaping complete | Within 24 months of approval |
| Driveway built | Within 6 months of the Driveway Access Permit |
| Exterior of the house finished | Within 12 months of the building permit |
| Front-yard landscaping | Within 18 months of the building permit |
Miss any of the first three and the approval expires. If work stops for more than 30 days you must meet the Approving Authority to set a completion schedule; if the delay looks likely to pass 12 months the approval can be rescinded and the site re-vegetated.
Site rules that shape the design
Tree felling is scheduled for 16 August to 1 February, outside bird nesting season, and blasting is discouraged outright — if it cannot be avoided it is confined to the same window, and earthworks stay inside the building envelope. Fire sprinklers are mandatory — the house may not be occupied without an operable residential-standard system. One required parking space must be enclosed. Air conditioners mounted in windows, walls or roofs are not permitted; solar panels need approval.
A Driveway Access Permit is required, and no driveway may be built so that storm water runs off onto the municipal roadway; diverters go on the lot. Widths run 10 to 13 feet, and moving the driveway the Developer set needs approval before design starts.
What are the guidelines actually for?
They keep the setting, the views, the tree cover and neighbours' outlook intact while nine owners build to their own tastes. What the Approving Authority weighs: Compliance with the Design Guidelines; siting and setbacks of buildings and septic fields; environmental sensitivities; screening and building height; construction materials and techniques; parking; architectural aesthetics; landscaping, significant tree protection and re-vegetation; exterior layout; compliance with registered covenants and rights of way; fencing; roof slopes; exterior materials and colours; adverse impact on the views, ecology or ambiance of neighbouring properties; storm water management planning; and timing of construction to reduce impact.
Common mistakes
- Starting work before written approval. No improvement may begin and no building permit may even be applied for until plans are submitted, reviewed and approved in writing. The Municipality will not issue a permit without written confirmation of conformity.
- Cutting a tree of 25 cm or more without approval. After the Developer's initial clearing, no tree with a trunk 25 cm or more in diameter, measured 1.4 m above grade, may be removed, topped or substantially limbed without approval, which may be arbitrarily withheld.
- Blasting outside the window. If rock cannot be avoided, blasting is confined to 16 August to 1 February. Plan the drill-and-blast work around that, not the other way round.
- Forgetting the fee. The $3,500 design review fee is non-refundable, payable on completion of your purchase, and appears as an adjustment on the statement of adjustments.
What to do next
Read the Building Scheme and the Design Guidelines before you engage an architect — the checklist above is the brief you are giving them. Then book the pre-design meeting.
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